Abstract

Following the dot.com shakeout, firms both in the new economy and the old economy must be able to come to terms with the opportunities and threats that the Internet can bring. It is quietly suspected that the way forward is to merge strategy with technology; and the spectacular fall of 'technology-only' companies in recent times serves to fuel this thinking.

In looking at how companies can evaluate and choose between the range of technologies open to them, I am going to look at two seminal works that span the past 25 years, and both of which pre-exist the frenzied late nineties when the Internet hype was so strongly equated with e-commerce. These are:- Porter's Value Chain model- Rayport and Sviolka's Virtual Value Chain model.

The research undertaken looked at the role of Information and Web-based technologies at three diverse firms in Ireland. Full, complete and prioritized recommendations are made in each case, along with general conclusions and recommendations for model development and further research.